Reviews

It may be small but it does have more than 12 chairs (may 24). This small restaurant locate din Soho is ideal for small groups (up to 6/8) and couples and it offers a great range of local NYC food. It is a little off the main track but worth the walk. The service is excellent and friendly and the prices are reasonable.

The hotel staff recommended this delightful place the last time we visited New York. It was definitely worth visiting again. This restaurant is small but the food is unbelievable. The hummus is probably one of my very favorites in the world. The bread is just so soft and seems to melt in your mouth. The lamb hamburger is served on a small wooden platter and comes with home fries! This is a Mediterranean restaurant but they still carry traditional American breakfast foods. Try their pickles!

Fantastic Israeli salad, humous and alike; amazing Americano coffees and fresh squeezed orange juice - the eggs were OK

A friend and I saw this on Yelp while visiting the city. It got great reviews and we decided to try it. It's a small, casual place. We went at 3pm on a Saturday. Had to wait about 25 minutes but was worth it. Atmosphere cozy and warm. Service was fast. We split several small plates - Israeli salad, pita and hummus, lamb kabobs and beet salad. Terrific, terrific and we cleaned our plates. I would highly recommend this restaurant!!! Our bill was $65 for the plates above and 2 beers.

We visited 12 Chairs hoping to have some apps & a few drinks before dinner (& upon arriving in NYC after 12 hours of travel). However, some mishap had occurred in their kitchen & shortly after ordering they informed us they could serve us no food. We were disappointed & hungry, but figured we'd still enjoy a drink. We did so & the waitress came & said drinks were on them-- which we thought was extremely kind. My son had ordered a milkshake & they originally said it was not possible for them to make this-- but they did & they even brought over a plate of olives & some hummus & pita bread since this was all they could muster up with a non-functioning kitchen. We were so surprised & delighted by their generosity & I have to say, the hummus they made was THE BEST I have ever had in my life & I consider myself somewhat of a hummus connoisseur. The folks who run this place are truly lovely & generous & the next time I'm in NYC I will seek out 12 Chairs & look forward to dining here. If the hummus was any indication of their regular cuisine, I'm sure it will be fantastic!

We enjoyed the hummus and the shakshuka, which both were very nice (specially the Shakshuka!) friendly staff and a nice place.

Was just passing the place and dropped in. Had the best shakshuka outside of israel. Amazing plaze in Brooklyn for brunch at any time of day.

Came across this lovely little place by chance while out shopping in NYC! Such a warm and welcoming place with an interesting and well cooked choice of food. Would highly recommend.

The best lunch in NY. Home fries are to die for. The chicken pockets with mushrooms very good. It is no frills food but very honest home cooking at it best. Service is very helpful. Love it and will be back for sure.

Staff is very friendly and attentive. I ordered Chicken schnitzel with home fries and Israeli salad. Which was really soft and tender breaded chicken breast and awesome home fries with delicious salad!!!! My boyfriend got stuffed cabbage. This dish was almost better than my mom's coked one!!!!! For desert we have Bavarian creme, espresso and tea with fresh mint. Love'd it!!!!! I cant brag enough how welcome staff made us feel! Thank You!!!!

This is a casual cafe with an extensive Mediterranean menu with an emphasis on Israeli foods. One of our party had the Israeli breakfast which she loved. Another had potato pierogi. I had a very creamy, nutty hummus with a veggie sandwich. The baba ganoush is tasty too. This is not trendy nor chic nor fine dining, just simple good food. There is a Brooklyn location as well. Takeaway is available.

My husband and I went to the see a show at the Prayers theater on MacDougall street. We love Russian restaurants. The internet claimed 12 chairs was a Russian restaurant. Located on MacDougal street was a big bonus. So we decided to have dinner there for the show. Well..... The only thing Russian about it was a street sign with the Russian Name on it from a city in Israel. Unless the movie "12 chairs" was the favorite of the owner, there was absolutely nothing "Russian " about the place. I love Israeli cuisine. And it should have been called accordingly. Free sky staff. Small place. I ordered roasted beets and the goat cheese. My husband ordered lamb skewers. Those were the appetizers. I had four prices if beets, that were good, with the two small round lives of Baguette shmeered goat cheese on top. Well, I would have preferred. Pieces of goat cheese on my beets. My his and's dish was undercooked and incredibly adequate. Then came the main course. I ordered chicken livers and my husband Orestes Moroccan fish. My liver was dry and burned. My his and's fish was inoffensive, the sauce served with it on the side had no taste. The Israeli sale was under seasoned. Well. It was disappointing. It the start was friendly.

Upon the recommendation of our local hotel we went here for Breakfast and it was great! Great food, reasonable price, great service too! We got the french toast (served with tasty fresh fruit), eggs (prepared perfectly), bacon (also cooked perfeclty), yummy bread too! Loved the fresh OJ!

A bit of traffic left us with less than an hour to eat before our show at the SOHO Playhouse. After parking across the street from the theater, we walked around the corner to find a restaurant. We found this great little place with plenty of menu choices to satisfy three of us.We started with wine and beer. Then we ordered stuffed chicken & fries, humus and a burger, respectively. The food was great & served in a timely manner. Prices were reasonable and service was good.

"12 Chairs" is the title of a well-known satirical novel of the early Soviet period in Russian literature. Given the size of this place, it is an appropriate title -at a guess is probably has about 20 chairs. This contributes to a relaxed informal experience. Offerings are very fresh and include (but are not predominantly) vegetarian. Limited wine list. Not a place to linger over a semi-formal dinner, but overall it is a pleasant experience with a modest tab at the end.